There is prior art regarding the connection of cameras or electronic devices having a camera to an optical device, but none of these prior art adaptor devices utilize a simple, yet self-centering and fitted connection that is capable of fitting to a range of sizes and types of optical devices.
Many prior art examples are designed to support only a very specific optical device, corresponding to a single or prohibitively narrow band of diameters of the external housing of the eyepiece end. For example, one prior art example is the Meopta Meopix iScoping adaptor, which has a fixed-diameter plastic ring that is designed to connect to Meopta brand binoculars with the same sized eyecups, or otherwise only designed to work with a few brands of 42 mm binoculars. Furthermore, the fixed diameter, cylindrical plastic ring may not have a snug and fitted hold on optics with a smooth rubber, plain plastic or metal housing or housing that doesn't have a matching contour to the adaptor. The construction does not allow for the ability to conform and grip onto these types of housings. Therefore, the structure of such prior art is limiting not only to size but material and contour of the housing.
Other similarly limited approaches use threads on the adaptor to match up with threads on the optical device. This type of approach is also very specific since the threads on the adaptor limit its functioning with mating threads of a single diameter and thread pitch.
Another common approach is a clamping mechanism with one or more screw adjustment, like Orion SteadyPix Telescope Photo Adapter for iPhones or digiscoping adaptors such as the one from Barska for DSLR. This has the benefit of being capable of attaching to a wider range of diameters of external eyepiece housings, but is not geometrically self-centering, and as a result these types of clamping designs typical requires other adjustment knobs or controls to properly center and position the optical device related to the camera of the electronic device. This becomes a complicated procedure of adjustments for the users, and is very time consuming and frustrating for anyone using the device on multiple optical devices.
The prior art does not demonstrate an adaptor device between optical devices and electronic devices having a camera, which meets the requirements of being self-centering so as to align the optical axes, fitted so as to provide a snug and conforming fit to a range of materials and shapes of a cylindrical end of the optical device, and more universal so as to fit a range of diameters of a cylindrical end of the optical device. Furthermore, the prior art can not meet these requirements, especially without the need for adjustments by the user, such as tightening down a clamp or centering the axes manually.